The Pandemic Has ‘Permanently’ Changed Health Care In Hawaii … Hawaii’s community health centers have found video and audio health appointments are crucial to reach patients, especially in rural areas.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced community health centers to reach patients by video and phone for the first time last year as stay-at-home orders and other restrictions kept people away from the doctor’s office.
In-person visits have resumed, but telehealth appointments remain wildly popular, even among the less tech-savvy elderly, clinic directors say.
“This pandemic has changed how we deliver health care, and it’s going to change it permanently,” said Christopher Russell, the medical director at the West Hawaii Community Health Center on the Big Island. “Patients love the convenience of it, and it increases our access. Our no-show rate has gone down tremendously.”
